Rotary engine.



Patented our. |4, |902.

no. 7|l,|6's.

W. LAWRENCE.

ROTARY ENGINE. (Appucae'm mea my 17, `mofa.) (No Nudel.)

OMS

we: nomas mins co., PnoraLmuo., wumowu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM LAWRENCE, OF PUNTA GORDA, FLORlDA.

ROTARY ENGINE.l

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N70.V71 1,168, dated October 14, 1902.

Application filed May 17, 1902. Serial No. 107,868. (No model.)

To t/Z whom, it Jn/ray con/cern;

Beit k uown that I, WILLIAM LAWRENCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Punta Gorda, in the county of De Soto and State of Florida, have invented an Improvement in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines in which there are two or more cylinders connected, the first or smallest of the series receiving the steam at boiler-pressure and passing thence into the adjoining cylinder through a suitably-constructed valve. The larger acting area of the said cylinder causes the steam to act cxpansively.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to eect an economy in the use of steam, and, second, to obtain a nearly continuous and uniform effort during a revolution ofthe engine. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a transverse section on the line O D of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line A B. Fig. 3 is a section of part of the rotary steam-valve.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The cylinder a is in two parts, divided unequally by a diaphragm o', the smaller of which receives the high pressure steam through the steam-pipe n, which is attached to the rotary steam-distributing valve r, in one end of which is a recess k and a slot t, through which the steam is conducted by way of the passages h 7i', diverging into the smaller or high-pressure cylinder a. Within the cylinders and placed eccentrically thereto is a shaft d, carrying the semieylindrical wing-barrels h l). These wing-barrels are each made in two semicylindrical parts or segments, the parts being separated to receive the reciprocating wings c c, two of which are contained in each cylinder. The wing-barrels b b are separated by a transverse wall or diaphragm and are secured to the shaft d by being `slipped in place thereon and are held in position and rotated by means of the squared or I-section portions on which the wing-barrels are fitted. Through the aforesaid wing-barrels and passing through the squared shaft are radially-sliding wings, two

in each barrel. On the sides of these wings are formed projecting pins orgudgeons c c, tbc. These pins run in arc-shaped guideblocks ff, dac. When the wings areimpelled by the steam-pressure, theyare revolved and carried aroundinthe slots between the segments of the wing-barrels, the pins or gudgeons revolving in the arc -shaped guideblocksff, dac., `and, maintaining the outer edges'of the wings in contact with the cylindrical interior surface, guided therein by the concentric grooves in the cylinder-covers and diaphragm, and thereby producing the reciprocating movement of the wings. These circular concentric grooves are shown in dotted lines at e e, Figs. l and 2, and the semiarc shaped guiding blocks are similarly shown. In order to givea better bearing to the reciprocating wings c c, dto., they are made to pass through the shaft radially thereto. Lubrication of these internal working parts is effected by ducts carried through the cylinder-covers a and af". Stuffing-boxes d" and d pack the shaft at each end thereof. When the wings c c pass in succession the steam-passages h, the steamvis discharged by means of the conical rotary atg` orj, whence it passes through the slot Z, Fig. 3,'and by way of the passages m" m" into the larger ex-" pansion-cylinder, from whence it is exhausted by way of m m' and 7c into the exhaust-pipe o. The conical distributing-valve@ is inone piece. When suitably rotated, the steamadmission ports i and Z carry the steam in reverse direction, and the V.direction of its flow and motion of the engine is likewise reversed, the exhaust-passages j y' andj"j being changed accordingly. In a small engine, in which the piston-Wings are narrow, they can be carried reciprocally by means of the trunnions c and c on one side of the wings only. (See Fig. v3.)

l am aware that rotary engines having eccentrically-placed wing-barrels, with cylinders in which the steam is used expansively, are not new, and I do not claim such device as my invention; but

What I do claim, and desireto protect by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a rotary engine the combination of two or more expansion cylinders or casings having athrough-shaft, semicylindrical wing- IOO barrels, said barrels carrying two sliding wings actuated by means of projecting gudv geons on the sides of these wings, said gudgeons being carried by arc-shaped guideblocks in concentric circular grooves, the aforesaid wings being impelled by any elastic fluid so as to rotate the shaft in the required direction with the rotary distributing-valve formed in one piece and arranged to direct the fluid actuating the engine in such way either direct or reverse as may be required,

`all substantially as described herein.

2. In a rotary engine the combination of expansion cylinders or casings of circular interior surface, eccentrically-rotating Wingpistons actuated radially by means of concentric grooves in which are carried arcshaped guide blocks, the semicylindrical Wing barrels attached to a shaft having squared or I-shaped section, said shaft being continuous throughout the casings and having slots therein to pass the wing-pistons su bstantially as shown herein.

3. In a rotary engine having two connected cylinders, said cylinders having a circular interior surface, concentric circular grooves in which run arc-shaped guide-blocks carrying pins or gudgeons on the sides of sliding radially-reciprocating Wings said Wings traveling in slots carried through the wing-barrels and shaft, said Wings being two in number in each cylinder, in combination with a squared through-shaft carrying both wingbarrels, as shown herein.

4. In a rotary engine With two connected cylinders, a 'conical rotary distributing-valve consisting of an outer casing made to receive a steam-inlet together with un exhaust-outlet and having two steam-passages therein communicating with each cylinder, in combination with a rotatable conical plug divided into two parts longitudinally by an annular steam-space, and having a slot therein for passing steam to the first cylinder, and a slot or passage opening `from the middle steamspace to convey the steam to the second cylinder, and having` also on either side of these two slots two passage-ways for exhaust-steam which being suitably rotated engage with one or the other of the steam-passages of each cylinder in order to change direction of the motion of the engine, the slots being placed intermediate between the steam-passages the engine is thereby stopped; as shown and described herein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM LAWRENCE.

Witnesses:

J. A. JUDsoN, EDWARD W. AUSTIN. 

